Pass case



ec. 13, W66 0. s. ELLlFF 3 73 PASS CASE Filed Dec. 14, 1964 ORLA 5. ELL/FF INVENTOR United States Patent 3,291,178 PASS CASE Orla S. Elliif, Nocona, Tex., assignor to Justin Leather Goods Company, Nocona, Tex., a corporation of Texas Filed Dec. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 418,019 2 Claims. (Cl. 150-39) This invention relates to certain specific improvements in a pass case of a type which is commonly used, either separately or in combination with a billfold of well known construction, as a convenient holder for carrying and displaying credentials of various kinds, such as passes, credit cards, identification cards, membership cards, drivers licenses, and the like, as well as for photographs.

It is common practice to employ for the purpose described, in combination with a strip comprising two juxtaposed thicknesses of transparent, flexible sheet material forming between them a series of pockets arranged side by side, each of said pockets being adapted to receive a small card, photograph, or the like, said strip being folded upon itself in one position thereof whereby said pockets are stacked one upon another. The present construction includes a case as hereinafter described which provides a substantial enclosure for the transparent strip in its folded position.

In one form thereof the case above mentioned may consist of a single strip of flexible sheet material having a width corresponding substantially to the lengths of the respective pockets, which coincides substantially with the width of said first mentioned strip, and said last mentioned strip is folded intermediate its ends to form an end portion and an adjoining intermediate portion which in use overlie opposite sides of the stack, in the folded position of said first mentioned strip, and said last mentioned strip has an end flap adjoining said intermediate portion which in use is folded over the first mentioned end portion.

In another form thereof the case may consist of a single strip of flexible sheet material substantially as described having a width corresponding substantially to the widths of the respective pockets, and which is relatively narrower than the first mentioned strip.

The pass case of the invention is intended to be used in conjunction with a billfold which in one form thereof has one principal pocket coextensive with its length having a top opening, the pocket in use being folded upon itself, and has at least one end pocket coextensive with substantially one-half the length of the billfold, the end pocket having its two opposite ends joined to the material of said principal pocket and having its two longitudinal edges disconnected from the material of said principal pocket so that in use the intermediate portion of the strip which comprises the pass case may be passed behind said end pocket whereby the pass case may be removably connected to the billfold.

In another form thereof said end pocket of the billfold may have its two longitudinal edges joined to the material of said principal pocket and may have its two opposite ends disconnected therefrom, for use with the modified form of the pass case above mentioned.

An object of this invention is to provide a pass case as described in which the intermediate portion of the strip which comprises the pass case is relatively longer than the end portion of said strip opposite the end flap, and said intermediate portion and said end flap extend beyond the end of said strip opposite said end flap, in the folded position of said strip, and the material of said strip is folded upon itself in opposite directions, in a series of three successive folds, at the juncture of said intermediate portion and said end flap whereby said end flap is extensi- "ice ble as necessary to compensate for variations in the thickness of such materials as may be contained in several pockets which comprise the folded strip of transparent sheet material which in use is enclosed Within the pass case.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pass case as described in which the end portion of the strip which comprises the case opposite the end flap has length and width dimensions corresponding directly or inversely to those of the individual pockets of said transparent sheet material, as above described, whereby in use the intermediate portion of the strip which comprises the case, which is relatively longer than the end portion thereof opposite the end flap, may extend beyond one end or one side, as the case may be, of the several pockets which comprise the folded strip of transparent sheet material at the juncture of said intermediate portion with said end flap.

The objects of the invention as above described will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a pass case embodying the invention, showing the folded strip of transparent sheet material having the pockets therein.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view on a reduced scale showing the pass case in its open position and showing the strip of transparent sheet material having the pockets therein in a partially unfolded position.

FIGURE 3 is a front view showing the pass case with its end flap raised to thereby expose the adjacent longitudinal edges of the several pockets in the folded strip of transparent sheet material which are stacked one upon another.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective view on an enlarged scale showing a longitudinal edge of the strip of flexible sheet material which comprises the pass case at the juncture of the end flap with an adjoining intermediate portion thereof.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary view showing the pass case and then enclosed folded strip of transparent sheet material having the pockets therein, showing the pass case in its contracted position, as when the pockets are filled to a lesser degree.

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 showing the pass case in its expanded position, as when the pockets are filled to a greater degree.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary perspective view on an enlarged scale, showing the pass case in an open position and showing the strip of transparent sheet material having the pockets therein in a substantially folded position.

In the exemplary form of the invention shown in the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates a strip comprising two juxtaposed thicknesses of transparent, flexible sheet mate-rial forming between them a series of pockets, indicated by the numerals 11, which are arranged side by side. Each of the pockets 11 is adapted to receive a small card, photograph, or the like, and the strip 10 is folded upon itself in one position thereof whereby the pockets 11 are stacked one upon another. The numeral 12 generally indicates a case as hereinafter described whioh provides a substantial enclosure for the strip 10 in its folded position.

The case 12, as illustrated, consists of a single strip of flexible sheet material having a width corresponding substantially to the lengths of the respective pockets 11, which coincide substantially with the width of the strip 10, and the strip 12 is folded intermediate its ends, as at 13, to form an end portion 14- and an adjoining intermediate portion 15 which in use overlie opposite sides of the stack comprising the juxtaposed pockets 11. The strip 12 has an end flap 16 adjoining the intermediate portion 15 which in use is folded over the end portion 14 and is removably secured thereto by a snap fastener 17. When the case 12 is used apart from a billfold, as before mentioned, the strip may be secured at an end fold to the fold 13 of the case by a wire clip 12a as shown in FIGURES 2 and 7.

In another form thereof (not shown) the case 12 may consist of a single strip of flexible sheet material substantially as described having a width corresponding substantially to the widths of the respective pockets 11, and which is relatively narrower than the strip 10.

The intermediate portion of the strip which comprises the case 12 is relatively longer than the end portion 14 of the strip 12 opposite the end flap 16, and the intermediate portion 15 and the end flap 16 extend beyond the end 14 of the strip 12 opposite the end flap 16, in the folded position of the strip 12, and the material of the strip 12 is folded upon itself in opposite directions, in a series of three successive folds, as at 18, 19, 20, at the juncture of the intermediate portion 15 and the end flap 16 whereby the end flap 16 is extensible as necessary to compensate for variations in the thickness of such materials, if any, as may be contained in the several pockets 11 which comprise the folded strip of transparent sheet material 10 which in use is enclosed within the case 12.

As shown, the end portion 14 of the strip which comprises the case 12 has length and width dimensions corresponding inversely to those of the individual pockets 11 of the transparent sheet material 10, as above described, whereby in use the intermediate portion 15 of the strip 12, which is relatively longer than the end portion 14 thereof, may extend beyond one side of the several pockets 11 which comprise the folded strip of transparent sheet material 10 at the juncture of the intermediate portion 15 with the end flap 16.

In a modified form of the invention (not shown), the end portion 14 of the strip which comprises the case 12 may have length and width dimensions corresponding directly to those of the individual pockets 11 of the transparent sheet material 10, whereby in use the intermediate portion 15 of the strip 12, which is relatively longer than the end portion 14 thereof, may extend beyond one end of the several pockets 11 which comprise the folded strip of transparent sheet material 10 at the juncture of the intermediate portion 15 with the end flap 16.

The invention is not limited to the exemplary construction hereinshown and described, but may be varied within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A pass case comprising, in combination with a strip comprising two juxtaposed thicknesses of transparent flexible sheet material forming between them a series of pockets each adapted to receive a small card, photograph, or the like, said strip being folded upon itself in one position thereof whereby said pockets are stacked one upon another, the combination of a case providing a substantial enclosure for said strip in its folded position, the case consisting of a single strip of flexible sheet material folded intermediate its ends to form an end portion and an adjoining intermediate portion which in use overlie opposite sides of the stack comprising said pockets, in the folded position of said first mentioned strip, the last mentioned strip having an end flap adjoining said intermediate portion which in use is folded over said first mentioned end portion, the intermediate portion of said last mentioned strip being relatively longer than the first mentioned end portion thereof, and said intermediate portion and said end flap extending beyond the end of said [last mentioned strip opposite said end flap, in the folded position of said last mentioned strip, and the material of said last mentioned strip being folded upon itself in opposite directions, in a series of three successive folds, at the juncture of said end flap whereby said end flap is extensible as necessary to compensate for variations in the thickness of such materials as may be contained in said pockets.

2. The structure of claim 1, the first mentioned end portion of said last mentioned strip having length and width dimensions corresponding inversely to those of the individual pockets of said first mentioned strip, whereby in use the intermediate portion of said last mentioned strip may extend beyond one side of said pockets at the juncture of said intermediate portion with said end flap.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,887,502 11/1932 Epstein 28 FOREIGN PATENTS 664,816 6/1963 Canada. 255,615 7/1926 Great Britain.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PASS CASE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION WITH A STRIP COMPRISING TWO JUXTAPOSED THICKNESS OF TRANSPARENT FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL FORMING BETWEEN THEM A SERIES OF POCKETS EACH ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A SMALL CARD PHOTOGRAPH, OR THE LIKE, SAID STRIP BEING FOLDED UPON ITSELF IN ONE POSITION THEREOF WHEREBY SAID POCKETS ARE STACKED ONE UPON ANOTHER, THE COMBINATION OF A CASE PROVIDING A SUBSTANTIAL ENCLOSURE FOR SAID STRIP IN ITS FOLDED POSITION, THE CASE CONSISTING OF A SINGLE STRIP OF FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL FOLDED INTERMEDAITE ITS ENDS TO FORM AN END PORTION AND AN ADJOINING INTERMEDIATE PORTION WHICH IN USE OVERLIE OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE STACK COMPRISING SAID POCKETS, IN THE FOLDED POSITION OF SAID FIRST MENTIONED STRIP, THE LAST MENTIONED STRIP HAVING AN END FLAP ADJOINING SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION WHICH IN USE IS FOLDED OVER SAID FIRST MENTIONED END PORTION, THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF SAID LAST MENTIONED STRIP BEING RELATIVELY LONGER THAN THE FIRST MENTIONED END PORTION THEREOF, AND SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION AND SAID END FLAP EXTENDING BEYOND THE END OF SAID LAST MENTIONED STRIP OPPOSITE SAID END FLAP, IN THE FOLDED POSITION OF SAID LAST MENTIONED STRIP, AND THE MATERIAL OF SAID LAST MENTIONED STRIP BEING FOLDED UPON ITSELF IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, IN A SERIES OF THREE SUCCESSIVE FOLDS, AT THE JUNCTURES OF SAID END FLAP WHEREBY SAID END FLAP IS EXTENSIBLE AS NECESSARY TO COMPENSATE FOR VARIATIONS IN THE THICKNESS OF SUCH MATERIALS AS MAY BE CONTAINED IN SAID POCKETS. 